*Elton John - Levon (60th Birthday)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Fgix5HXFTQ
*Levon Helm "Poor Old Dirt Farmer" Official Music Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBuJB218UvU
*The Band - The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMHyovwX7JM
*Joan Baez - The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnS9M03F-fA
*The Band - It Makes No Difference
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJXc0NRCmRQ
Levon Helm
Levon Helm performing in 2004 on the Village Green in Woodstock, New York.
Background information
Birth name Mark Lavon Helm
Born May 26, 1940 (1940-05-26) (age 71)
Marvell, Arkansas, United States
Genres Rock and roll, rhythm and blues, rock, blues, country, folk
Occupations Musician, Songwriter, Actor, Producer
Instruments Vocals, drums, mandolin, guitar, bass, harmonica
Years active 1957–present
Labels Capitol, Mobile Fidelity, MCA, Breeze Hill, Levon
Associated acts The Band, Ronnie Hawkins & The Hawks, Bob Dylan, Levon Helm's Ramble on the Road, Levon Helm and The RCO All-Stars, Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band
Website www.levonhelm.com
Mark Lavon "Levon" Helm (born May 26, 1940), is an American rock multi-instrumentalist and actor who achieved fame as the drummer and frequent lead and backing vocalist for The Band. Helm is known for his deeply soulful, country-accented voice, and creative drumming style highlighted on many of The Band's recordings, such as "The Weight", "Up on Cripple Creek", "Ophelia" and "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down". His 2007 comeback album Dirt Farmer earned the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Album in February 2008, and in November of that year, Rolling Stone magazine ranked him #91 in the list of The 100 Greatest Singers of All Time.[1] In 2010, Electric Dirt, his 2009 follow-up to Dirt Farmer, won the first ever Grammy Award for Best Americana Album, an inaugural category in 2010.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levon_Helm
Levon" is a song written and recorded by Elton John with lyrics[1] written by Bernie Taupin. It is from John's fourth album Madman Across the Water and was recorded on February 27, 1971.[2] The song reached #24 on the Billboard Hot 100.
HistoryBernie Taupin, who wrote the lyrics for "Levon," was inspired by The Band's co-founder, drummer, and singer Levon Helm to name the title character after him. The Band was apparently Elton John's and Bernie Taupin's favourite group in those days. The "Alvin Tostig" mentioned in the song (Levon's father) is, according to Taupin, merely fictional.[3]
Elton John and his Civil Partner, David Furnish, named their son "Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John". He was born on Christmas Day 2010. [4]
Notable covers and performances"Levon" has since been covered by several artists, including Taylor Hicks, Jon Bon Jovi (who covered the song on the tribute album Two Rooms and claims that "Levon" is his favourite song of all time and that he looks up to Elton John as his idol)[5] and Billy Klippert.[6]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levon